Lady Viking Memories

I am so looking forward to next Saturday night.  It will not only be great seeing  all the girls I spent so much time with as part of the Lady Viking basketball team 35 years ago but it will also be a great opportunity for all of us to honor Coach Carter.   He was a great basketball coach but he was also a great life coach.

 My basketball playing began at Reynolds when I was in the seventh grade.  Bunny and Sandra were eight graders and I learned a lot playing with them and watching them.  During my eight grade year, I was one of the girls chosen by Coach Carter to go to Butler to practice with the TC Lady Vikings.  I was awestruck but it was during those practices I became determined to work hard enough to make that team.

 I remember sitting on the bench next to Edie our freshman year in the State Championship game in Macon.   Bunny, Sandra and company were routing the opponents but Edie and I were still shocked when Coach Carter called our names to go in that game.   My sophomore year I got more playing time and worked harder than I had ever worked in my life. It was during that year that I realized I had a chance of making the starting line-up on that great team.   I remember wearing ankle weights not only to school every day but also to church and on dates.  Every girl on the team did that.  My junior year my dream was realized.  I found myself playing on a regular basis and being a real part of the team and the history that was being made.   I look back on that experience and it continues to be one of the highlights in my life.

 I have so many great memories.  I remember all the drills in practice.  We practiced fundamentals so much I did drills in my sleep.  We were prepared for our opponents.   Every game I knew the name of the person I would be guarding.  Coach Carter made sure we knew their strengths and weaknesses.  I knew if their tendency was to go to the right and I knew if they could not shoot with their left hand.  I also remember Coach Carter always raising the bar.  If I did something good, like draw a charging foul, he would acknowledge it but always challenge me to do it more often.

 Coach Carter taught us all that it takes hard work to be successful.  That is true in basketball but also true in life.   It was anything but easy playing for Coach Carter.  We all remember coming back to the gym in Butler to practice late at night after a bad game and him daring us to shiver in that very cold gym.  We were all afraid of him but we also had great respect for him.  But despite of his toughness we all knew he cared about us as individuals.  The day my dad died my junior year was obviously a very traumatic time in my life.  I remember the crowd of people at our house that night and I remember looking up and seeing Coach Carter walking down the hall.   He was there for me during that time and was there for me on a personal level that entire year.  He even allowed my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) to drive part of our team in our white station wagon to some out of town games that year.   

I can count the true heroes in my life on one hand.  Coach Carter is in that group.   The lessons I learned with all the girls who were part of the mighty Taylor County Lady Vikings are the greatest lessons I ever learned in life.  I thank God for allowing me to be a part of that team and to get to experience what we experienced.

 I can't wait to see you all on Saturday night. 
– Kathy Underwood Goddard